Spring loaded pattern drum for ease of pattern jack insertion

ABSTRACT

A pattern drum for a knitting machine has two overhanging rings or flanges to retain the pattern drum jacks against the drum, one of the rings or flanges being axially movable to allow fitting of the pattern drum jacks. The movable ring may be resiliently urged into to the pattern drum jack retaining position.

[111 3,834,188 [451 Sept. 10, 1974 ilnited States Patent [191 @omas 3,667,253 6/1972 Bourgeois............................ 3,712,084 1/1973 Falkkuhn..............

[ SPRING LOADED PATTERN DRUM FOR EASE OF PATTERN JACK INSERTION 3,759,069 9/1973 Scheffler et al. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Italy 66/50 H [22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-W. C. Reynolds Assistant ExaminerAndrew M. Falik Foreign Application Priority Data Attorney, Agent, 0! Firm--Steinberg & Blake Spain June 8, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT A pattern drum for a knitting machine has two 0ver hanging rings or flanges to retain the pattern drum jacks against the drum, one of the rings or flanges being axially movable to allow fitting of the pattern drum jacks. The movable ring may be resiliently urged the pattern drum jack retaining position.

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FIELD OF THE'INVENTION This invention relates to a patterning drum for a knitting machine and to knitting machines having such a drum.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In knitting machines, especially circular machines of large diameter, there are employed for automatic control of the functioning of the machine to form the pattern, pattern or control drums or cylinders which are actuated step-by-step by mechanisms of the machine and are formed with grooves in which are fitted jacks in accordance with the cycles to be effected.

In practice, the fitting of pattern drum jacks is com plicated and represents a considerable loss of time whenever it is required to change or modify the pattern. produced by the machine, especially on circular knitting machines of large diameter which have a considerable number of operating'units.

It is the object of this invention to avoid this disadvantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION for the second ends of the pattern drum jacks, the second ends being locked in the second recess by axial movement of the said ring towards the said flange, and means for maintaining the ringin the locking position. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a knitting machine having a control mechanism including a patterning drum having two overhanging rings to retain the respective ends of the pattern drum jacks against the drum, one of the said rings being axially movable to allow fitting of the pattern drum jacks.

Preferably, the said means for maintaining the slidable ring in the locking position includes a fixed abutment on the drum on the axial side of the said ring opposite to the pattern drum jacks, and resilient means between the said ring and abutment urging the ring into the locking position. The said abutment may be an annular member mounted on the drum so as to leave a channel between itself and the drum, in which channel part of the slidable ring is located, the annular member having pins extending axially in the channel into reces- 2 r pattern drum jacks when urged into the grooves, said engagement urging the slidable ring away from the said flange to' allow the pattern drum jacks to enter the said second recess.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

' FIG. 1 is a longitudinal axial cross-section through a pattern drum mechanism according to the invention, taken along the line II-II of FIG. 2;

. FIG. 2 is aside view of the drum mechanism of FIG.

1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the drum mechanism taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

' As shown in FIG. 2 the'mechanism is generally supported by a base 1, an intermediate meniber2 for guid ing the structure actuated by the pattern drum jacks, and an upper member 3 (see FIG. 2). The base has a bushing 4 in a socket (FIG. 1) in which is fitted the lower end of a fixed shaft 5. The shaft 5 is retained in position at its upper end by means of a flange 6 on the shaft 5 fitted in a mounting bushing 7 (which is securedto the upper support 3) and formed with a groove 8 into which is introduced a securing key 9. The assembly 10 comprising the patterning drum is mounted for free rotation on the fixed shaft 5 and is maintained in position against the bushing 4 by means of a sleeve 11 slidably mounted on the shaft 5 and located within the mounting bushing 7 and urged downwardly against the drum assembly 10 by a helical spring 12 positioned between the sleeve 11 and the shaft 5 and bearing at one end on the flange 6 and at the other end on a radially extending part of the sleeve. The lower end of the sleeve 11 has a diametral slot 13 fitting over a cross piece l4'of the shaft 5. For actuation of the drum assembly 11', there are secured to it at its lower end, by means of screws 15, two ratchet wheels 16, 17 (FIG. 3),-the teeth of which are respectively pointing in opposite direction for corresponding engagement and movement associated pawls 18, 19 articulated respectively to rockers 20, 21 which oscillate on pivots 22 and are actuated respectively by the cam followers 23, 24 provided with contact wheels 25 located in the travel path of a cam (now shown) rotating with the knitting machine cylinder.

The patterning drum assembly 10 has a cylinder 26 formed with longitudinal grooves '27 for the pattern drums jacks 28 and having its two ends cut away to give cylindrical portions 29, 30. An annular member 31 is secured about the lower cylindrical portion 30 by the screws 15 and constitutes a lower flange or fixed ring of the drum 26. The upper end of the flange 31 is internally stepped to project over the surface of the ends of j the grooves 27 of the base cylinder 26 so as to form a first annular recess 32 between itself and the cylinder 26 which recess receives the lower ends of the jack sinkers 28 which, in order to facilitate their introduction into'the recess 32, are formed at their lower ends with an inner bevel as shown at 33.

At the upper end of the drum assembly 10, a retaining ring 34, fitted in an annular recess 35 in the upper portion 29 of the drum 26, serves as an upper stop or abutment means for an annular member 36 which has a readially outwardly projecting portion joined at its outer periphery to an axially projecting portion,

thereby leaving a channel between itself and the portion 29. The radially projecting portion of the member 36 has a plurality of orifices 37 uniformly distributed around it, there being press-fitted in each orifice 37 a pin 38 extending axially downwardly within the said channel. On the said portion 29, there is freely fitted, partly within the channel formed by the member 36, a

ring 39 the upper face of which is formed with recesses ends 43 of the pattern drum jacks 28 and, externally of i the said shoulder, is bevelled at 44 so that the ends of i the jacks can push the ring 39 upwardly to allow them to enter the retaining recess. In order to facilitate operation, the bevelled portion of the ring extends outwardly, forming a flange 45.

It will be clear that the jacks can easily be mounted without any tool. First of all, the pattern drum jacks, at an angle to the shaft axis, are introduced at their lower bevelled ends 33 into the recess 32. Once this has been done, the pattern drum jacks are readily rotated into the associated groove of the drum; when their upper ends contact the bevel 44 on the ring 39, the latter is pushed upwards against the pressure of the springs 41, until the pattern drum jacks pass inside the shoulder 42, whereupon the ring 39 returns to the position shown in FIG. 1. Becausethe inner periphery 46 of the ring 39 engaging the portion 29 is tapered the ring 39 need only be pushed up at one side, so that only those jacks which are visible to the operator are freed; in practice, this very greatly facilitates the operation. The lower inner edge of ring 39 has sufficient clearance with respect to portion 29 to move freely up and down along portion 29, and to the extent that there is such clearance it is possible to tilt the ring 39 upwardly to some extent at any desired location of the ring 39, and the inner taper of the ring 39 does not inhibit such tilting of the ring.

In order to extract a predetermined jack, or any desired number thereof, it suffices to press, with a finger, the flange 45 from below upwardly and at the desired point, in order that overcoming the force of the springs 41 located in the zone concerned the ring 39 may ascent until its lower edge passes beyond the ends 43 of the pattern drum jacks which, then, may be extracted in the conventional manner from the associated grooves.

The mechanism described above reduces the time required for replacing a damaged pattern drum jack. Changing of the pattern drum jack for changing from one pattern to another is also rapid, since it inay be effected directly on the machine and without dismount.- ing the drum, as is necessary on other machines. Despite all this, other advantages inherent in conventional mechanisms are not lost; in fact, the drum assembly may be withdrawn when necessary, y simple extraction of the shaft 5 in the upward direction.

Although the drawings and the description relate, by

. 4 way of example, to a drum mechanism for circular machines of large diameter, the construction described is equally applicable to any other type of control or pattern mechanism comprising a drum having replaceable drum jacks.

While the invention has been described above with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes I and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

. ,What is claimed is:

l. Patterning drum, for a knitting machine, having an axis and aplurality of axially extending grooves and means for securing pattern drum jacks in said grooves, said means comprising at one end of the drum a first flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a first recess into which first ends of the pattern drum jacks can be engaged by longitudinal movement, adjacent the opposite endof the drum an axially slidable ring having a second flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a second recess for second, opposed ends of the pattern drum jacks, the second ends being locked in the second recess by axial movement of said ring towards said first flange to a locking position, and means for maintaining the ring in the locking position, the latter means being an abutment means fixed to the drum at a location closer to said opposite end of the drum than said ring with the latter situated between said abutment means and said pattern drum jacks, and resilient means between said ring and abutment means urging the ring into the locking position, said abutment means including an annular member mounted on the drum so as to leave a channel between itself and the drum, in whichchannel part of the slidable ring is located, said ring having recesses and the annular member having pins extending axially in thechannel into the recesses in the slidable ring, there being a plurality of helical compression springs mounted in compression about the pins and urging the ring into the locking position.

2. Patterning drum, for a knitting machine, having an axis and a plurality of axially extending grooves and a means for securing pattern drum jacks in said grooves, said means comprising at one end of the drum a first flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define afirst recess into which first ends of the pattern drum jacks can be engaged by longitudinal movement, at the opposite end of the drum an axially slidable ring having a second flange. surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a second recess for second, opposed ends of the pattern drum jacks, the second ends being locked in the second recess by axial movement of said ring towards the first flange to a locking position, and means for maintaining the ring in the locking position, and a plurality of pattern drum jacks the first ends of which arebevelled to facilitate entry into the said first recess, the portion of the slidable ring facing pattern drum jacks to enter the second recess. 

1. Patterning drum, for a knitting machine, having an axis and a plurality of axially extending grooves and means for securing pattern drum jacks in said grooves, said means comprising at one end of the drum a first flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a first recess into which first ends of the pattern drum jacks can be engaged by longitudinal movement, adjacent the opposite end of the drum an axially slidable ring having a second flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a second recess for second, opposed ends of the pattern drum jacks, the second ends being locked in the second recess by axial movement of said ring towards said first flange to a locking position, and means for maintaining the ring in tHe locking position, the latter means being an abutment means fixed to the drum at a location closer to said opposite end of the drum than said ring with the latter situated between said abutment means and said pattern drum jacks, and resilient means between said ring and abutment means urging the ring into the locking position, said abutment means including an annular member mounted on the drum so as to leave a channel between itself and the drum, in which channel part of the slidable ring is located, said ring having recesses and the annular member having pins extending axially in the channel into the recesses in the slidable ring, there being a plurality of helical compression springs mounted in compression about the pins and urging the ring into the locking position.
 2. Patterning drum, for a knitting machine, having an axis and a plurality of axially extending grooves and a means for securing pattern drum jacks in said grooves, said means comprising at one end of the drum a first flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a first recess into which first ends of the pattern drum jacks can be engaged by longitudinal movement, at the opposite end of the drum an axially slidable ring having a second flange surrounding and spaced from the grooves to define a second recess for second, opposed ends of the pattern drum jacks, the second ends being locked in the second recess by axial movement of said ring towards the first flange to a locking position, and means for maintaining the ring in the locking position, and a plurality of pattern drum jacks the first ends of which are bevelled to facilitate entry into the said first recess, the portion of the slidable ring facing the said first flange being bevelled outside the second recess for engagement by the pattern drum jacks when urged into the grooves, said engagement urging the slidable ring away from the said first flange to allow the pattern drum jacks to enter the second recess. 